Introduction to Robotics and Perception

A modern treatment of computational robotics, integrating mathematical fundamentals, algorithm development, and software implementation.

This undergraduate textbook provides a comprehensive modern introduction to computational robotics and perception. It covers traditional topics while also introducing state-of-the-art methods that are only now emerging from research labs. The accompanying computer code allows students to experiment with new ideas while mastering the material.Modern computational tools enable sophisticated solutions to many robotics problems. However, using these tools traditionally requires students to be familiar with advanced concepts from probability theory, geometry, algorithms, and software engineering. This book is the first to present an introduction to robotics and perception for robots that exploits these new tools in a way that undergraduates with just a basic background can follow, while also teaching the theoretical foundations that underlie these tools and their use. Students are introduced to new concepts in context – each chapter is structured around an increasingly complex robotics system. Aiming to enable students to confidently construct large-scale robotics software solutions for real-world problems, the authors encourage hands-on learning. The GTSAM software library, used worldwide in academia and industry, is used extensively. Every section includes examples and figures produced by executable python code that can be incorporated by instructors into larger class projects, with example projects available online.